


We're reeling through the midnight streets.

by aroundu



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Child Neglect, Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:28:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23569087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aroundu/pseuds/aroundu
Summary: It would do no good for both of them to get sick from the cold, not when they were just barely scraping by. That’s why it was okay for Hinata to skip school so they could get extra money. They needed this, and no matter how numb his fingers felt as they tried to uselessly grip at his jacket to hold it around himself, he would continue to do this to keep Yuuta safe.Or: a day in the life of Hinata Aoi.
Relationships: Aoi Hinata & Aoi Yuuta
Comments: 7
Kudos: 31
Collections: 2wink





	We're reeling through the midnight streets.

**Author's Note:**

> hiii well this is not my normal style of sweet sappy fics hh. Well, this is a collab between me and my [friend J](https://archiveofourown.org/users/angielovemail) and boy did we choose a sad topic. This takes place during middle school and goes through a normal day for the twins. I wrote the Hinata pov, and she wrote the Yuuta pov. Do heed the child neglect tag, as there's little to none beating around the bush here. Link for Yuuta pov will be in the end notes. Also because I feel this needs to be said, but if you are an incestie and you ship these Brothers, then kindly get the hell off my fic. Anyways- enjoy !

Hinata wakes up in a panic.

There’s sunlight pouring through the uncovered window, curtains taken down to be used as extra blankets, and from how lit up the room was Hinata knew he overslept. He thought for sure he’d set his alarm the night before, but considering how much Hinata struggled to drag his exhausted limbs up the ladder of the bunk bed to get to the top the night before, it was likely he had forgotten to.

This was bad. In winter, days were already short, so Hinata was missing out on this warming sunlight that dictated the amount of time he had to perform. Even if he could stand the biting cold that happened when the sun went down and the temperature dropped, other people-  _ customers _ -couldn’t.

Hinata was wasting too much time worrying away. He threw what little blankets he had off of himself and had a full-body shiver as the freezing air greeted him, and he climbed out of bed, ignoring how his body felt just as rusted and battered as the creaking ladder. 

Yuuta hadn’t made his bed, blankets tossed about with no order, but it wasn’t a big deal because maybe he woke up late just like Hinata, and any other morning Hinata would spend time to make the bed, fold the spare blankets and set them at the end, 

(because mom would like it like this, wouldn’t she? and dad would see what well-behaved kids they were and he would ruffle hinata’s hair and say what a good brother and son he is.)

But Hinata was in a rush, the daylight illuminating the room brighter than their ceiling light ever had was taunting him, so he left the blankets be as they were. The bed would be slept in again, so really what was the point in fixing something that was just going to be ruined again?

The bruises on his knees and elbows from tripping during his performances would just be replaced again and again, so it didn’t really matter to dread on them because they were as much as part of Hinata as his too-long orange hair, or too-weird green eyes. Everything was okay because this was just the normal way of life.

* * *

When Hinata got to the kitchen, the first thing that caught his eye was the piece of paper on the normally clean and empty counter.

(maybe it’s from dad. maybe it’s an apology about being gone for so long and forgetting to buy groceries. hinata picks it up and smiles imagining the note being signed off with an ‘i love you’.)

_ Aniki, _

_ The electricity is shut off. I think the meat needs to be put into the garage, ‘cuz the fridge won’t run ‘n’ we can’t risk wasting dinner for a week. Also, you forgot to bring your coat yesterday... ): please wear it today, it’s super cold ): _

Ah, Hinata hadn’t even realized the power had been shut off, since the sunlight coming through the windows hadn’t warranted any attempts to turn on the lights. Yuuta left for school hours ago and Hinata prayed that during that time the meat hadn’t spoiled yet. He opened the fridge and grabbed the package of meat from it, sighing when it was still frosty and cold.

It hadn’t been easy to get it. Lots of lingering around the meat section in the local grocery store and feigning looking confused at the oh so vast selection to choose from, waiting for some kind-hearted person to approach him. Eventually, it had been an older man who came up and asked him if he was having trouble.

“It’s my mama’s birthday tomorrow and I wanna make her dinner!” Hinata lied. He didn’t even remember when Mom’s birthday was.

The old man didn’t know that though, so he chuckled and said it was nice to meet a kid who cared so much about his mama, and he helped Hinata pick out a package. The easiest part was after the meat was chosen, was to make the smile drop off his face and slump his shoulders, sighing and saying he didn’t have enough money. If people ever realized Hinata was scamming them, he never cared, never let an ounce of guilt consume him. He had to do this. 

Yuuta had been shivering so much more than usual, he needed a good dinner to warm him up. The meat was a smaller serving, but it was okay, Hinata could just have a protein bar for dinner because the hunger was another part of Hinata like his dry, cracked hands, and his chapped and bit up lips.

The concrete floor of the garage sent a chill through Hinata’s toes, and he was thankful for the cold that would keep the meat from spoiling. A dark dot scuttled across the floor when Hinata stepped too close, and he thought about how strong the bugs must be since they never seemed bothered by the cold. Hinata wished for a moment he could be strong like a bug, but then remembered that Yuuta wouldn’t be happy if he turned into one.

Setting the package down on a table in the back corner, Hinata wrapped it in a nearby cloth as well to make sure no buggies would try to get to it. The meat would last for a few days refrigerated in the garage if the electricity didn’t come back on soon, but Hinata planned on making dinner with it tonight before anything bad could happen. 

He hoped Yuuta would be happy with a special dinner. 

He hoped Yuuta would be happy with everything Hinata was doing.

* * *

Hinata forgot his coat again. Even after the reminder on the note from Yuuta, he still forgot it. It was for the best though, because his coat was clunky and made it hard to move, and he needed to be able to jump and dance around if he wanted to perform well.

Still, the cold biting past his skin and into his bones was reprimanding Hinata’s thoughtless mistake. He pulled his jacket, which was much lighter than his coat and gave Hinata the flexibility he wanted, tighter around him and wrapped his arms around himself, sticking his hands under his armpits. 

The wind was the worst part, though. It made Hinata’s hair fly all over the place and whip across his face, leaving a dull sting that couldn’t quite make it through the numbness of his cheeks after only being outside for around ten minutes now. But, hey, it was better him outside freezing than Yuuta.

Yuuta was in school. Warm. Safe. 

It would do no good for both of them to get sick from the cold, not when they were just barely scraping by. That’s why it was okay for Hinata to skip school so they could get extra money. They needed this, and no matter how numb his fingers felt as they tried to uselessly grip at his jacket to hold it around himself, he would continue to do this to keep Yuuta safe.

He knew his journey would take at least half an hour more until he got to the prime location for performances, so he ignored how each gust of wind felt like it could blow him away and marched on.

* * *

By the time Hinata finally got to the town center, the sun hung high in the sky and it was well into the afternoon by this time. 

Okay, Hinata’s started late before and still managed to get enough for dinner. Of course, that was during the summer where the sun had stayed out until late into the day, and with families walking around all day on their summer breaks. Hinata wouldn’t be as lucky today.

At least his go-to spot was open; a spacious bit of sidewalk on the path to a bunch of popular stores. The foot traffic was less than usual, and Hinata accepted the fact he’d have to stay later into the day than normal with a large sigh. 

Hinata wiped the frown off his face and replaced it with an easy smile to draw people in. This was okay, he would still be home in time to cook dinner and see Yuuta before bedtime.

* * *

“Come see the amazing Hinana-chan~! I’m gonna set a world record for flips!” 

Hinata jumped up and down waving his arms, trying to gather as much of a crowd as possible for his final performance of the day. A bright smile and radiating this cheerful energy could be enough to garner attention during warm summer days, but today was cold. People weren’t as easy to stop, not when they wanted to get inside as quickly as possible.

This wasn’t Hinata’s first time struggling to draw a crowd, he knew he had to warm up his freezing limbs as soon as possible so he could start with the main attraction. Once people saw a kid doing handsprings and backflips, then they stuck around to watch. And like a cat sinking its teeth into a mouse, Hinata would complete his performance and amp up his cute innocence and charm people of their spare change.

(hinata’s mom called him hinana-chan. he remembers cuz she would brush his hair and chastise him for squirming, but at the end she’d always say “i love you my little hinana-chan”. hinata imagines his mom in the crowd now, clapping along and cheering him on.)

After a final backflip, Hinata threw his hands up in the air like he gymnasts on the TV do, then gave a great big bow to the small crowd that stopped to watch. At the clapping of the crowd, Hinata rose with a grin, and took a step towards his tip jar before a woman was stepping closer, gloved hands still clapping.

“That was a wonderful performance, sweetie!” Her voice was like flowing honey, dipping into Hinata’s ears and warming his insides. Not the first time getting compliments, but this woman was familiar…?

(like mom. maybe this is mom. she’s come back for hinata and she’s so proud of him.)

“Thank you, ma’am! I worked really hard on it!” Hinata grinned, standing as tall as he could. A compliment meant extra cash, maybe enough to buy dinner from a take-out place? Or he could get Yuuta new shoes; he’s been complaining about his shoes being too tight around his toes. Not that Hinata even needed the reminder, his own toes uncomfortably squished against the edge.

The woman’s eyes were squinting from her great big smile. “You’re just the cutest thing. You should keep working hard. Hey, look at me.” She reached out and took Hinata’s hands in her own. “I mean it. You’ll do great things.”

Hinata’s heart rose and he puffed his chest out. For a moment, he can pretend that he isn’t just doing this all so he and Yuuta can eat, and instead doing it because he’s a child prodigy. A masterful gymnast, an acrobatic, an up and coming talent to the nation.

“Thank you so much! I’ll keep working extra hard, so-” The woman’s smile dropped and she tore her hands away from Hinata. Hinata’s words died in his throat as the woman walked away with long strides, sparing no glance back.

Hinata’s heart dropped. He snapped his head back to where he left the tip jar on the ground, but it was no longer there. 

He was just a kid, who would steal from a kid? Were they still here? Hinata looked around but the crowd he gathered was all gone, not even a witness to the crime was left. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t understand why this had to happen to him.

His next breath came out as a whimper and he looked back to try and find the woman again but she was gone. Gone.

Gone.

Left again.

(mom?)

Hinata should know better- performance rule number one: don’t look away from your tip jar! And now it felt like each breath he took was faster and shorter than the last, and at the same time he felt like he wasn’t breathing at all. Chest tightening and air struggling to escape past his throat. This was a back stabbing, and he felt the wound pulsing from his chest, and could imagine the blood falling down that was evidence of the mistake he made.

He’s barely gotten any money these past few days. He’s missed so much school for this small change. He doesn’t have enough for any sort of food. What is he going to do? Yuuta is going to freak…

Yuuta.

Hinata gasped and felt his lungs fill with air again. His skin was electrified and the jittering of his heart increased.

Yuuta couldn’t find out about this. Hinata could  _ not _ let Yuuta know this happened. Yuuta worried too much, and Hinata couldn’t add anything to that never-ending pile of fears. 

Yuuta needed to be happy. If he was happy, then Hinata was happy.

Hinata’s eyes focused on a neon sign standing out against the ever darkening sky. A department store. Clothes. Yuuta has been complaining for weeks that his clothes are too small. He wanted new clothes, new clothes would make him  _ happy _ !

Okay! Hinata can do this! He can get Yuuta new clothes and he’ll be happy and he won’t even think to ask about how much money they have, because if Hinata could get new clothes then they must have a lot right now!

Everything was fine. Hinata would show no sign of anything different.

* * *

Cameras were everywhere. 

It made sense, this was a much higher-end store than the thrift shops that Hinata frequented. The clothes here had tags from the factory still on them, and duplicates of the same shirt in different colors and patterns. The pants were labelled with numbers rather than S, M, L, and it made Hinata bite his lip as he read them, unsure of what number would fit best.

That was the only number Hinata paid attention to. He didn’t need to look at the price tags, because he already knew there would be no way he could afford even a single thread in this store. It didn’t matter though, nothing mattered except making Yuuta happy.

So many colors and styles to choose from, and Hinata felt himself being drawn to the bright, flashy colors and the uniquely cut shirts and pants, but he knew that it’d be smarter to find something that could be worn a lot and match with lots of things. Yuuta wouldn’t say it, but Hinata knew he worried about stuff like that, and that his brother longed to look normal and be rid of the thrift shop clothes.

They were both outgrowing their pants at an astronomical rate, and as confusing as it was to understand the size numbers on the pants, Hinata figured it was safest to go big since they’d likely grow into it anyway.

Hinata moved away from the jeans with the ripped holes. He needed something that would last a while and keep Yuuta warm during these cold winter months. There were black jeans with no holes in them, and black was a neutral color right? It’d be able to style well with anything, and Hinata could already imagine Yuuta’s smile as he tried on a dozen different shirts with the jeans on, putting on a big fashion show for Hinata and asking for his thoughts on each outfit.

Yuuta would be happy with this pair.

* * *

Wearing two pairs of pants was weird, but after taking off the tag and sliding them on, Hinata was surprised that as stuffy as it felt, it wasn’t obvious he was wearing two pairs. Maybe it was because Hinata had a slight frame, so the extra bulking only served to make him look normal.

Hinata couldn’t stop his stomach from flipping up and down regardless of how well he faked looking like a normal shopper. He knew the plan: walk outside and return the pairs that didn’t fit, give a longing sigh, then walk out like nothing mattered. It was simply easy.

(and hinata would walk out of the dressing room and mom would be there fretting about how the jeans fit on her son. dad and yuuta would be somewhere else in the store, picking out more clothes for hinata to try on. and afterwards, they would all get dinner out somewhere fun. laughing and chatting together like a happy family.)

One final twist and turn in the mirror to confirm that everything was in place, then Hinata took a deep breath to steel his nerves. This was for Yuuta.

The anxiety clawing itself into Hinata’s heart was okay. He was nervous whether Yuuta would like this pair, and he definitely wasn’t on the verge of crying in the dressing room because he felt like his skin was crawling at the thought of stealing.

It’s for Yuuta.

It’s always for Yuuta.

Yuuta will be happy and it will be okay.

Hinata doesn’t matter.

* * *

Walking home didn’t feel as cold as earlier when the sun was still out. Whether it was the extra layers keeping Hinata warm, or this hot, burning guilt twisting in his gut, he didn’t know. And it didn’t matter either, because when Hinata got home and showed Yuuta the wonderful new pants, then his smile would wipe away all the reservations Hinata was feeling right now.

Dark roads were as familiar to Hinata like the dull ache in his stomach after having to cut back on food for a few days. He didn’t get lost anymore, knew exactly which streets to walk on, and which ones to avoid once nighttime fell. Safe streets were ones with lights, but you had to be careful about the amount of traffic on them or else the danger wouldn’t be strangers hiding behind dark corners, it could be a car veering off the road.

(dad gave hinata this advice. he learned about hinata’s adventures and with a chuckle and a ruffling of hinata’s hair, he told his son to be careful of the cars at night since it was harder for drivers to see.)

Hinata’s heart hadn’t stopped beating like a train speeding along its tracks ever since leaving the store. He worried if he turned around, then there’d be police cars and Hinata would be locked up for his crime. 

Yuuta would be all alone.

The thought made Hinata walk faster, his feet exhausted from the day’s activities and blistered from wearing shoes a size too small, yet carrying him the last few blocks home anyways. 

These last few days were dragging on Hinata. He felt it in the way his whole body ached; arms shaking as he raised his hand to turn the key into the front door’s lock, his calves burning as he stepped on the backs of his shoes to tug them off, and his shoulders slumping the moment he stepped out of the foyer.

“I’m home.”

No response. Had Yuuta gone to bed already? Maybe since the power was out, Yuuta decided to go to bed early. Then again, Hinata knew they had candles for situations like these, so Hinata hoped that Yuuta had just been too focused on homework or reading to hear the greeting. 

The meat in the garage was supposed to be a big special dinner for Yuuta.

The jeans underneath Hinata’s raggedy sweatpants were supposed to be a big special present for Yuuta.

Hinata entered their shared room with a gentle push of the door, still wincing at the creak of it that seemed all too loud for their quiet, quiet house. No candles were lit, the moon peering through the window provided the only light in the room, and showed the lump on the bottom bunk bed.

Yuuta was asleep already.

Hinata’s hands curled into fists and his fingernails bit into his palms, but he forced his feet to move forward. Forced his numb body to move and take off the sweatpants, then to roll the jeans to the floor around his ankles. Folding the black fabric but not feeling it underneath his fingertips. Placing it on top of the dresser for Yuuta to find in the morning. 

Tomorrow… tomorrow… it was always tomorrow… Hinata could never give Yuuta anything he needed  _ now _ . He tried so hard, day in day out, but he always fell short of giving Yuuta the happiness he deserved. 

Shaking hands grabbed the ladder of the bunk bed, but Hinata couldn’t move. It hurt so much. Every inch of his body hurt, riddled with failure that weighed down his body like a bag of bricks was tied around his ankle and dragging him to the bottom of a lake. He took a deep breath and willed his body to climb up, each step sent a throbbing pain through his feet, and Hinata convinced himself that if it felt like he’d never be able to move again, the least he could do was heave his body into his bed so he could sleep forever.

He felt the cold now, remembered the necessity of having multiple blankets scattered on his bed, and he pulled them over himself before he fell back against the mattress with a softened thud. 

Hinata hadn’t seen Yuuta at all today. Did he manage to find something to eat? He knew Yuuta hated the garage, so the meat would’ve been a no-go. Hinata wondered how school went too, hoped that classes were easy and maybe Yuuta had fun during the lessons. 

Each unanswered question, each worried though, it pounded in Hinata’s skull and it made his chest squeeze up, and he knew what this feeling was. He knew this burning in his eyes and clenching of his throat was an attempt to cry. 

Crying made Yuuta upset, so Hinata learned how to prevent it.

But he wanted to cry so bad right now.

Hinata squeezed his eyes shut, begging the tears to come. Yuuta was asleep, he wouldn’t know this happened, so please can his cheeks get wet and his nose start running and he’d have to wipe it on his blankets? Can he please start sobbing so loudly that he’d have to bury his head in his pillow to muffle it?

No tears came. 

Hinata buries his head in his pillow anyway and pretends they do.

**Author's Note:**

> Wellllll. That's it. (: A big focus of this whole collab was reality vs fantasy, and I hope it was evident which one I was. You can find me on twitter [here](https://twitter.com/AOlHlNATA).
> 
> [Yuuta's POV!!!](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23569183)


End file.
